(Previously appeared in another form as a chapter in a book I wrote as a ghost writer)
Cravings: the good and bad news
Oh yes, the cravings of pregnancy. How do you as a mother cope with trying to keep a healthy diet when that little baby inside of you sends up an order for chili fries or a slice of turtle cheesecake. It’s true that cravings aren’t known to be initiated by the baby, but it sure does feel that way, doesn’t it?
If you have pregnancy cravings, I'm happy to tell you that you are not alone with your cravings. It is estimated that 50 to 90 percent of pregnant women have cravings, (Geddes, 2021). Cravings aren’t always the typical fare of eating sweets or indulging in comfort foods; some women have weird cravings that are beyond understanding. For example, during the ninth month of my first pregnancy, I put catsup on my potato salad and used giant tortilla chips to scoop it up so that I could eat the potato salad like a dip. I figured at that point what did I have to lose? Hello! Baby is still developing! So, mom, watch those cravings.
Reverse cravings
Cravings can also work in reverse. Specifically, a reverse craving is when a mother-to-be has an aversion to a food that they never had a problem with before. An example of a reverse craving is not wanting to eat chicken when in fact, chicken was a common ingredient to your weekly diet.
A reverse craving can be intense. Particularly, I could not stand the smell of taco meat. My sense of smell was so sharp, I could smell the taco meat cooking when I was in the driveway getting out of my car. I couldn't even look at a taco without dry heaving.
Reasons for pregnancy cravings
Cravings aren’t just ideas or notions developed mentally by the mom-to-be. Mom's usually experience cravings at the end of their first trimester, with a peak that happens in the second trimester and a downturn during the third trimester, (Geddes, 2021) Don't worry if you are different, because everybody has their own situation going on. You could be experiencing severe morning sickness into your second trimester, for example and not want to eat a thing much less crave a certain food.
Here are some reasons for cravings:
· Pregnancy hormones
· Sensitive sense of smell/taste receptors
· Crossed nutrition signals
· A desire for comfort food
(Geddes, 2021)
These all make sense:
· Pregnancy hormones are awash in your body and they tend to change things up in your body.
· Your senses are on overdrive. Food that you love could taste horrible thanks to over sensitive taste receptors or your super sensitive nose.
· Your pregnant body may be craving things that it needs.
Dangerous cravings
Cravings can be a scary thing if you crave something outside of your lifestyle. Like craving bar-be-que if you are a vegan. Also be aware that there is a medical condition called ‘pica’. Pica happens when you crave non-foods like laundry starch, clay, dirt and ashes. You can also have severe cravings for ice cubes. If this happens to you, call your doctor so that they can determine if there is a nutritional deficiency in your body. (Geddes, 2021).